Hussain misses third Test

ENGLAND captain Nasser Hussain has been ruled out of England's 13-man squad for the third Ashes Test against Australia starting on Thursday - while Phil Tufnell has failed to win an international recall....

ENGLAND captain Nasser Hussain has been ruled out of England's 13-man squad for the third Ashes Test against Australia starting on Thursday - while Phil Tufnell has failed to win an international recall.

Hussain missed the eight wicket defeat at Lord's after damaging a finger in the opening Test, so stand-in skipper Mike Atherton will again lead the side as he did last week as the tourists went 2-0 up in the Ashes series.

Hussain is now aiming to be fit for the fourth Test at Headingley, along with England's other injured batsmen Graham Thorpe and Michael Vaughan.

As predicted, Derbyshire all-rounder Dominic Cork has been dropped in favour of Surrey's Alex Tudor, whose only previous home Test appearance was against New Zealand at Edgbaston in 1999 when he hit an unbeaten 99, the best score by an England nightwatchman, though his quick bowling is the chief reason for his selection.

Nottinghamshire batsman Usman Afzaal and Yorkshire paceman Chris Silverwood, squad members at Lord's but left out, are retained while there is a recall for Glamorgan off spinner Robert Croft, with Warwickshire left-armer Ashley Giles due to undergo an Achilles tendon operation which could keep him out for four to six months.

It means there is no place for controversial Middlesex spinner Tufnell, who had been touted for an international recall after missing out since the 1999-2000 tour of South Africa.